The Patient Dead
by 10moorem
Summary: Matthew didn't want to die, he did anyway. He didn't want to end up in a GAME, he did anyway. Armed with his bluffing skills, amateur magic and a swanky phylactery his ghost roams through UNDERTALE (SI fic)
1. Chapter 1

**_Chapter 1_**

Let me make one thing perfectly clear. I was not an irrational person.

where others believed in things such as "God", "heaven" or "SOULS", I never did. Along with my laziness this was both my greatest strength and my most crippling weakness, though I never acknowledged that until I died.

I didn't die to something as exciting (and likely painful) as a car crash or being burnt alive in a fire accident, I died because of a mistake. A checkup in a hospital, which should have been entirely mundane was turned sour because the doctor accidentally overdosed me.

Which lead to my current situation.

 **I** was surrounded by a "black" so dark **I** hesitated to call it "black". No, the word void was more appropriate. I shivered, **I** knew **I** wasn't meant to be here. This place was otherworldly, it was **anathema** to **me**. **I** didn't know how **I** knew this, **I** just did.

 **I** looked down at myself.

"WHAT THE FUCK?" **I** screamed, just now noticing my "body" was not at all my actual body.

Superficially it resembled **me**. A skinny frame, long curled locks of hair, glasses and a pretty average looking face. Of course last **I** checked my body was NOT transparent, or light blue.

For about a minute all **I** did was flop around like a fish, only to pause every few seconds to gape at my ghastly new appearance. Of course **I** didn't just look like a ghost, a few minutes in **I** had realised **I** was intangible.

And then there was that fucking heart.

 **I** knew what it was, how could **I** not? Even with the appearance of a light blue valentines heart **I** could still tell what it was. It was **me**. Just looking at this... thing was like looking in a mirror, it reflected everything, every good or bad trait was laid bare before **me**. There were even traits **I** was unaware of before, though now I knew.

This was undoubtedly the very culmination of my being, my SOUL.

Which of course also meant it was something against my very set of beliefs.

 **I** glared.

The SOUL continued to glow brightly, being the prick that he was.

Less noticeable were the cracks going through my SOUL.

 **I** , of course knew this was bad and it seemed to be getting worse.

* **CRACK** *

The sound was awful, it was like a the souls of the damned and the cries of feral beasts came together to create a maddening melody. There was also the pressure. It was something That **I** hadn't noticed before but there was an awful weight on my chest, like something was trying to rip it out and replace it with-!

* **ERROR** *

* **ERROR** *

* **ERROR** *

My vision blurred, the last thing I would remember being whispers and a bizzare holed hand.

* * *

"fucking sun m'gonna kill you" I mumbled still half asleep.

This wonderful state of being was of course ruined by the loud thump behind me, startling me awake.

I blearily looked around to the sound.

Oh...

Oh shit, Is That blood?!

I quickly stumbled over to the body wearing pretty familiar clothing and-!

Is this my body? But then how am I-?

" Oh... shit" I murmured to myself in realisation as I saw my still transparent looking form.

* **CRACK***

I looked down. My SOUL was still cracking! But how, I got out of that Void place didn't I?!

Why is my SOUL still cracking, I looked down in frustration.

 _'Okay, think Matthew, what could be the reason for your Soul to still be cracking'?_

 _'Well'_ I thought _'either that place is still affecting me or-._

I looked back up to my body, a horrible idea lurking in my mind.

 _'Please'_ I thought, begging to be wrong for once in my life.

I placed my head just a few inches from my body's mouth and waited. A few second later it did what I feared it would do.

Breathe.

 _'I'm still alive'?_ I glanced at the blood on the floor and the head wound on my body, likely gained from the fall.

 _'Alive but definitely still dying'_ I realised

This was the reason my SOUL was still cracking.

It was still attached to my body.

 _'My body will not survive with that wound, let alone the cocktail of drugs that is likely still in it'_ I angrily thought to myself.

Continued life seemed impossible for me in this situation. Continued existence on the other hand was... possible.

 _'Hypothesis: my SOUL is dying from the connection to my body, Solution: giving my SOUL a connection to something different'_

I wrapped my hands around my SOUL and held it tight, while I searched my body for something to contain my SOUL.

Luckily I found it in a gold alloy ring I had gained as a gift from a relative, I wasn't sure why he thought I would like a tacky piece of bling but it was expensive so I had simply thanked him for the gift and swore to myself to only carry it in my pocket as a potential bribe for muggers.

It seemed it would finally come in handy, the ring was small durable and wouldn't rust. All I would have to do to improve it would be to tarnish it so it wasn't so shiny and eye-catching.

* **CRACK** *

Sensing the end rapidly approaching I raised the SOUL high and prayed this would work. I slammed it onto my ring and focused all of my intent for my soul to survive, to last, to be **preserved**.

the last thing I saw was light blue spiralling around me before my world went dark... again.

 _'I hope this doesn't become a thing'._

* * *

With all the panic and confusion from before I hadn't gotten a proper chance to survey the area around me, which was a shame. It was exquisite, and trust me that's saying a lot coming from me.

A field of buttercups surrounded by several pillars, all of which held a strange symbol on them. The light from a hole above only added to the atmosphere. This place reminded me of a graveyard, it held the same quiet dignity and stillness in the air that me me want to simply stop and listen.

I wouldn't even be out of place here considering my newfound nature.

However this beautiful view did leave me with just one question.

How did I get here?

Seriously, I went from a hospital, to... that place and the somewhere underground?

I could understand my body following me because of the bond my SOUL and body used to possess, but how did my SOUL get here?

Oh, and why did this seem so goddamn familiar?

Grumbling lightly to myself I reluctantly left the room and went down the hall, only to be faced with massive purple doors... which were closed.

"Umm" I stared at the massive doors and then to my skinny arms, and unfortunately finding them wanting.

"how do I-?" I cut myself off suddenly feeling very stupid, I was intangible. I could totally just walk through these sissy doors. I experimentally placed my arms through the door, before closing my eyes and stepping forwards.

I turned around and opened my eyes finding I had successfully phased through the door.

I smirked in triumph before doing a very unflattering jig in front of the door.

"YEAH, SUCK IT DOOR!" I yelled.

Feeling inordinately pleased with myself I turned around.

To find a flower...

Staring at me...

Welp.

"You forget you saw this " I say threateningly, now feeling very embarrassed with myself. Seriously, what the hell was I thinking? Was I still drunk on victory from cheating death?

"Golly, I wish I could!" The yellow glower chirps in a saccharine voice, knocking me out of my self loathing.

I payed closer attention to the flower, It was large about as large as a fully grown sunflower. This was very odd considering I'm sure it was a buttercup. The next thing I noticed was it's face.

The smile of good humour hadn't even wavered and it's dark eyes were still scrunched up, but it seemed wrong. Maybe It was the dissonance of seeing a face on a flower but that smile on it's face looked incredibly wrong.

"I'm sorry you had to see that" I stated politely, still looking him over.

He must have understood the look I was giving him "my, you look so confused. You must be new around here, no wonder I didn't recognise you!"

Even his tone of voice felt... overplayed somehow, the cheer and lyrical quality sounding dead and repetitive the longer you listened to it.

"Well I am new around these parts, I'm Matthew" I introduced myself with false cheer.

"Howdy! I'm Flowey, Flowey the flower!" He grinned back at me.

Oh...

No wonder this place was so familiar...

This was undertale!

And I just so happened to be standing in front of the main antagonist.

The reality altering sociopathic antagonist...

Fuck my life.

' _Okay, panic later bluff now!'_

"I'm actually from Hotland, I've always wanted to see the ruins since my family is kind of... secluded" I said to Flowey, trying to sound as if I was making conversation.

"Oh?" Flowey states curiously.

"Yeah, despite being ghosts my family looks human-like so we tend to make monsters wary, what with the whole 'Humans are the enemies' thing" I lied.

"I see" said Flowey, the interest in his eyes dimming "I had actually thought you were a human considering the amount of Magic you seem to possess" he shrugged.

How the hell did he manage to shrug, he's a goddamn flower! He only has a stem to act as his shoulders down!

"Nah sorry" I shrugged at him apologetically "Anyway I've still got to explore the rest of the ruins, I hear they have puzzles!" I say, mock excitedly as I walk passed him.

See you around, friend!" Flower calls out, somehow able to come off menacing and friendly at the same time. I leave this section, still feeling the weight of flowey's cold lifeless eyes on my back.

* * *

I really hope he didn't see through me.

I mean all he has to go off is my unusual appearance and magic, so it wouldn't be easy.

unless he finds my body.

Which is now six feet underground, apparently I could interact with my body, making it trivial to phase my body through the ground after me.

You know now that I think about it, wouldn't that mean my body is next to Chara's?

"Oops" I speak out loud.

Well nothing to do about it now.

* * *

Thinking logically the best plan for me right now would be to hole up somewhere nobody can find me and wait until Frisk convinces Asriel to break the barrier. I mean everyone down here is crazy!

Toriel is obsessive and overprotective.

Sans is a nihilistic wreck.

Papyrus is... Papyrus.

Undyne is overly violent

Alphys is a nervous ball of self loathing.

Asgore legitimately wants to die at this point.

And everyone else isn't much better.

It always ticked me off in the game that the monsters were treated like the unfortunate victims, though they were to an extent. After all nearly every monster tries to kill Frisk. This ,by itself, is understandable Monsters are trapped in a cage and require Frisks SOUL to escape.

But that doesn't excuse the way they did it. Most of the monsters that try to kill Frisk are very casual about the idea, some even joke while trying to kill them!

As a game it works, in real life it's just sick.

Also the whole thing about not a single human being killed is bullshit, in war both sides die.

That's not to say the Humans are innocent, no they probably were the aggressors and are also probably guilty of many things.

There's bullshit on both sides and I'm gonna call out both!

Still my main goals from now would be to learn as much magic as I can and to prevent as many of Frisks deaths as I can, just because they come back doesn't mean they don't feel pain.

Nodding to myself I continue on.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2**_

Flowey gazed towards the exit long after the human had left, not out of curiosity it simply needed to mull over it's thoughts. It knew of course that despite not appearing as a human it most assuredly was one. In many previous timelines the flower had been confused before it learned of his true nature. That thin veneer of a ghost and his unusual state had been troublesome to get through.

However even this unusual character had gotten boring to Flowey, no worse than that he had gotten frustrating.

Flowey knew the human knew more than it showed but beyond a few basic facts Flowey had gotten nothing substantial out of him, despite being so very entertaining. ' _Just like junk food'_ the flower thought, nothing but empty facts and words came out of the false ghost's lips whenever speaking to him.

Flowey knew despite being without a SOUL that he could feel certain emotions, them being: boredom, curiosity and frustration. The patient SOUL and that trash bag of a skeleton were some of the only people who could routinely draw out that latter emotion.

Sometimes Flowey had killed them just to see that look of dumb confusion on his face after smashing his ring to tiny pieces. It was unfortunate that because of that ring he could not get to that SOUL. He had tried countless times to extract that SOUL out of that blasted jewellery only to fail each and every time.

In the end the human was like a Rubin's cube, immensely frustrating but he had thankfully wasted a lot of Flowey's spare time. It was just unfortunate that there was now nothing left to do.

' _Perhaps I'll let another day go by in my time loop, that should add in a few more variables for me to play with'._

* * *

The shadows of the ruins loomed above filling me with... DETERMINATION

Well, not really but the thought still counts. Plus the whole ' _filling me with patience'_ just isn't as catchy sounding.

The ruins were exactly like the game showed, only not at all. This wasn't due to any flaw found in the game, but rather the creator probably couldn't fit everything in. In actuality the ruins were far more expansive than in the game, corridors stretching far into the mountain.

The path to Toriel's house was there, but there was so much more!

Wandering down the dusty purple halls one would be forgiven for thinking it was a catacomb, or a mausoleum of some kind. The walls spoke of age and the air was stale. Perhaps the graveyard feel wasn't just exclusive to Chara's grave, perhaps it encompassed the whole of the ruins.

Actually now that I think about it wasn't the ruins the last stronghold of the monsters before the barrier was set up? This would be the place they were initially forced into before expanding into further caverns. So in a way wasn't this the last site of the Great War between humans and monsters?

I rolled my shoulders nervously. The dust was no longer a charming part of the ruins. The traps did not seem so whimsical. In fact it all made a horrifying amount of sense.

' _Oh god this place IS a graveyard. For all the monsters who died in the war. For all who died in the following chaos. This dust isn't normal dust getitofgetitofffgetitOFFGETITOFF-_ '!

My panicked breathing may have gotten worse if it wasn't abruptly banished from my head from what I saw.

It wasn't the silliest thing I had ever seen. No that honour belonged to seeing an ostrich run full tilt into a van, don't ask.

 _'Does that sign say LIBRARBY?'_ I thought incredulously ' _why is that a thing?'_

Mystified I walked over to the ironically incorrectly spelled Library and opened the door.

* * *

My first thought was ' _The Ruins have shops?'_ My second thought was ' _of course they have shops you bloody moron'._

It was small. Which wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but the place seemed to be far more like a book shop than a public library ' _was Snowdin's library like this?'._ The walls were a soothing beige colour, a welcome change to the constant purple outside. The air also had the smell of old books _'because of course it does'_. The Monster manning the till,appeared to be a strange cross between a buffalo and the abominable snowman, and yes it was very weird to look at.

Trying to ignore the unpleasant dissonance created by the small quaint Library and the beefy looking monster I turned to the selection of books.

 _'Let's see here. History, A Guide to Monster types, Fiction, what the hell is drama doing here!'_ I paused seeing the next title _'Basic Magic, your SOUL type and you!'_ Well it seems things were finally going my way.

Spotting a small reading table near the back I floated over to it and placed the book down. I reverently stroked the spine _'you're my version of the Bible now'_ I thought in glee.

I opened the page, skipped straight to the Patience section and began to read.

 _Patience, like Kindness and Perseverance lacks many offensive spells and instead focuses more on defence and utility based spells, though this does not make them any less formidable, so long as the user is suitably intelligent. Patience is associated with stillness, preservation, calm, the mind and fate._

 _Beginners are often capable of: making barriers that decrease low energy, preserve food small items for long periods of time and forcibly calming their emotions._

 _Masters are capable of completely nullifying energy in their field of view, indefinite stasis to items and even other living creatures, telepathy and short term precognition._

 _Note that While Patience spells are more efficient when compared to Justice and Bravery spells prolonged use can still lead to exhaustion, testing magic beyond your capabilities can result in serious injuries and possibly death._

Wow.

Well at least now I knew how I was capable of storing my SOUL in my ring. It had to do with my trait.

I was really lucky.

My brows furrowed in confusion a second later _'wait, but preserving my soul must be pretty advanced if they only mentioned preserving items and people'._

After thinking for a short amount of time I conclude it was either my human/ghost status or my desperate emotions at the time. _'Still'_ I thought to myself _'that's something to look into later'._

I idly flipped through the book until another page caught my eye.

 _Danmaku._

* * *

I followed the instructions the book had provided before I had to leave it in the store _'curse you, lack of money!'._ I had never been the most diligent of students however this was something monsters apparently taught to _children_ so I think I was going to be fine.

The instructions in the book had been simple. Gather energy into a shape and add force to that magic to propel it.

The first step was ridiculously easy to me, maybe it was because my body was now made of energy but I could shape the magic into any shape conceivable.

The second step was not so easy.

My Magic seemed reluctant to move at all, which made sense because of my Patience trait but it was still annoying. I had tried pushing the magic in the ball with more magic and I had tried willing it. The only thing that seemed to move it was if I physically threw or pushed it, but even then it only moved at a walking pace.

Does it have to be done this way?

 _'Wait, does it?'_ I thought to myself, it was possible I was simply lacking in practise and I would get better at moving the balls of magic but did I have to do it this way?

The book had warned me not to do anything experimental with my magic.

I ignored the thought of common sense with reckless abandon. This had to be done. For SCIENCE!

I imagined my magic seeping out of me and covering the area, oddly the idea of mist seemed to come to my mind. Well as long as it helped me concentrate it was fine.

I opened my eyes. The ruins around me were now tinted blue, like my SOUL trait. Okay so that worked, but how about the next step. I concentrated on forming a sphere of magic ten metres away.

The sphere formed almost instantly and, at my command released a small explosion.

ha! Whoever said laziness was a bad thing! When confronted with a problem find the easiest way around!

"help... me" a voice weakly cried out.

I whirled around to face a small whimsun facing towards me. At first I could see no problem with him, until I realised that he appeared as if he was moving through thick syrup, my magic slowing him down to a crawl.

Belatedly realising I should help instead of staring I quickly let my Magic Mist dispel, allowing the blue tinge of the area to fade and then disappear. This left the whimsun to fall to his knees and start heaving for air.

 _'Well, this seems to be a good time to leave'_ I thought before quickly slipping away.

* * *

' _Note to self: Monsters appear to have a limit to how much foreign ambient magic is in the air, not surprising though considering their bodies composition is made up of magic'._

With this self reproachful thought to myself I carried on, the Monsters only sparing a curious glance towards me here and there. For now I would have to plan. I needed a base of operations, a home so to speak. The only question was where.

The ruins were right out, sure I suppose logically they would be the safest since they were furthest away from the King and had no royal guards. However the ruins are too closed off and cramped for me, there limits to even my PATIENCE and being locked up here for years would certainly count as being beyond those limits.

Snowdin would be perfect if not for one problem: Sans, I had absolutely no idea what he would do if he were to learn of my true nature, and he probably would if he so much as glanced at me. Sans was way too unpredictable for me.

Hotland and anything past was too close to the King, which only left...

Waterfall, eh? Sure I would have to watch out for Undyne but other than that it was far enough away from the apical while still being open and connected. Perfect!


End file.
